MoMs....Ministry of Moms

I had such a nice time visiting with the moms of preschoolers this last week. Megan Scott hosted, providing snacks, drinks, and a great place to play and fellowship. It was a small group of mothers, but starting small is a good thing. Getting to know other mothers in the same place in life is a good thing, too. If you know of ladies at GLCC who have preschoolers and are looking to gather with other Christian moms for uplifting talk and safe play for the kiddos, please let them know of our brand new group.

February 13th is the next gathering....come and play if you can:)

three little words

I have been working for Home Instead Senior Care for about a year now. I have one client I have continued to see even though I finally got my full time school job. My shifts with her are 2-four hour evenings and an eight hour day on Saturday. This past Friday night I got a call from the main office and ended up accepting an eight hour shift on Sunday too.

Saturday was going to be a big day. Her husband made arrangements to take her to a play and then to dinner. Sounds like an easy day, doesn't it? The only problem is that she had a stroke 2 years ago and is unable to speak or care for herself. Her husband is very devoted to her and treats her like a princess. I said a prayer Friday night asking that we have a day without mishaps and that just, perhaps, she would communicate with her husband with three little words. So Saturday, we (Mr. and Mrs., myself and 2 other caregivers) packed a bag of supplies, put the wheelchair in the trunk, and left the house from 12 to 6 for a play and dinner. Everything went well and Mrs. really enjoyed her day out.

Sunday morning I arrived and the first thing her husband said was,

“I think she enjoyed her day. As I was getting her ready for bed, she said, ‘I love you’…..”

wow…..thank you, God, for giving them that moment…..

1 Corinthians 13:4-7

New International Version (NIV)

Love is patient, love is kind.

It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud.

It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs.

Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth.

It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.

Finding the Time...and the Money

I am the mother of three boys. Granted they are older now, but back in the day when they were small, and active, and very needy, and active, and eating all of the time, and active,(did I mention they were active?)I never seemed to have enough time for me. I would hit the ground running and would not stop until my head hit the pillow at night. Even then my mind would be whirling with all of the things I needed to remember for the next day. Being the working mother of three little ones definitely cut into my me time AND my God time. I absolutely understand when a young mom (or an older one, for that matter) tells me she doesn't have the time to study and that money for childcare might also be an issue.

GOOD NEWS, GOOD NEWS!! A wonderful benefactor has paid for childcare for this upcoming women's study at GLCC on Tuesday mornings. If you have not been attending due to lack of funds for babysitting, worry no more. Register yourself and register your children on the church website and have two delightful hours with other women AND with God!

The link to GLCC's women's page is here.

The link to the study is here.

Hope you can join us:)

Daddy's Girl

Stacey Harper tells of her daughter Frederica's experiences at the Father Daughter Dance.....

And the countdown has officially begun! My daughter Frederica gets so excited about the GLCC Father/Daughter dance every year and this year is no different. This will be her fourth time attending this wonderful event. She is our only daughter and because of this, she is treated like the princess that she thinks she is…particularly by her daddy. He gets off a little easier than some in the fact that since he only has one daughter, he can give her his total and undivided attention. And she can demand it at times!

This is such a special time for them. Even though my husband Brian makes a point throughout the year to spend one-on-one time with each child, this particular event has become a tradition and a milestone marker for our home. It has been so neat to be able to look back at the pictures and to see how much Frederica has grown and how much she enjoyed the occasion. It is a night just for her and her daddy and no one else. The sun rises and sets in her daddy and she likes to show him off. One of my many prayers for my daughter is that she realizes that her father is setting the bar pretty high for any other man who will try to come into her life as she gets older and to expect nothing less. Another prayer for them is that she sees that her earthly father is an extension of her heavenly Father and that she grows to love him just as much.

Her dress has been picked out for quite some time and as per tradition, Brian will go and purchase a matching tie and a corsage that he feels is worthy of his daughter…even though it only lasts on her wrist for about 30 minutes! she and I will go into the bathroom to do her hair and argue over how it should be done (am I the only one who has this problem?). It’s a time that I enjoy because I know that soon enough she will be grown and gone.

As for me, I was honored last year to be able to attend the dance with my own father. I was able to go and enjoy the attention of my dad, without having to share him with anyone else. I was able to pretend I was “daddy’s little girl.” That is something I haven’t felt since my wedding day and I will always be grateful for that night.

A Grown Up Princess

Kristy Babb tells of her evening at the Father Daughter Banquet with her "date" Pastor John Stroud.....

Pastor John or better known in my life as "Uncle John" has been the lead male role model in my life. He taught me the characteristics of a true gentleman and what I should be looking for in the ideal mate at a very young age. Although only 10 yrs older he is much of a father figure to me.

Sooo when invited to be his guest at the Daddy/Daughter banquet at GLCC in 2007, 2008 and 2009 I had little hesitation. I was excited to dress the part of the princess, admire the unbelievably detailed decor, enjoy a wonderfully prepared candle lit dinner and dance the night away with all of the other little princesses. Just watching the little girls gaze at their daddies was enough for me but to actually be one of those little princesses is a memory that I will never forget. I will gladly say yes every year invited (although all of these pregnancies and February deliveries have somehow taken priority for now.)

A Yearly Date with Dad!

Every February, Grace Life Community Church hosts a Father/Daughter dance. My daughter has gone with my husband for the past 4-5 years. Now, in our house this is not just a one night event. There is LOT building up to this night!
First, we have to find the most perfect dress - NOT an easy task. I must be the one to take my daughter shopping, as Dad cannot see the dress until the moment she walks down the stairs, ready to go, on the night of the dance (make my heart melt!!). My husband starts talking up the dance as soon as it's announced. When my daughter was younger, she would smile and smile -- her excitement would be 100% evident. This year she started middle school and has become an avid eye-roller. As my husband talks about his excitement for the dance this year, she rolls her eyes with a hidden smirk of excitement. Tonight I told her that she MUST attend the dance with her dad every year until, ummm, forever! Because if she were to say she didn't want to go I think he would cry for about a week. Anyway, the day of the dance is full of hair fixing and now even a bit of make-up. I help her get dressed, then I rush to the bottom of the stairs to snap pictures (and to shed a few happy tears).
I can't express how grateful that I am for the GLCC Father/Daughter dance. This is the one night that my husband can put his goofiness aside and honestly and openly express to our daughter how much he loves her and how important she is to him (yes, sometimes he does need an excuse to show his emotions... he's a man! :)). And even though my daughter would never admit how important the night is to her - scroll back up to the picture at the beginning of this post, look at her face and you will see just how important it is to her too.

A Magical Night

Hope Prosser has shared her thoughts on the Father-Daughter dance and how it is making a difference in their family. Thanks, Hope!

Every year my husband Leo and my daughter Jordan (11) look forward to Grace Life's Father-Daughter Dance. Denise King and a crew of others plan a special night, complete with theme and message, over the top magical decorations, a wonderful dinner, and gifts to make the ladies feel like the princesses they are. My daughter is excited to buy a new dress, and have her hair done and her picture taken with her daddy. She gets ready in her room without letting Leo have a single glimpse of her before she is ready. My husband picks her up at the bottom of the stairs with flowers in hand and a look of pride, love and expectancy on his face. She doesn't know it but as he opens the car door for her and takes her hand to lead her into the dance, he plans more for this night than a fun time and a great dinner.

You see, Leo is teaching our daughter how to recognize the man that God will someday bring to her, the man that will want more than to win her heart but will know how to treasure it. He will show her how much he loves her, how grateful he is to God for her, how special she is to him. Leo, like every father wants the best for his daughter, including the best man for her. A night like this, created for this purpose, teaches my daughter how to be treated and reminds her of her value. A night like this reminds Leo to set the pace for her expectations beyond this special night.

I tell everyone how grateful I am to Denise King and all the men and women who work so hard to make this happen because they too want this for their daughters. I also offer my son as a waiter, and hopefully a witness to this display of respect and honoring of young women. I am grateful that the seed they plant in February, grows all year long in my daughter's, my son's and my husband's heart. Don't miss this chance to show your daughter how to recognize her prince by setting the stage for her on February 11th and all year long.

Little Girls, Big Hearts

Julie Davis, one of our ladies from GLCC, shared this with me.....


“… but Jesus said, “Let the little children come to me and do not hinder them, for to such belongs the kingdom of heaven.” Matthew 19:14

Children are definitely a gift from the Lord. I’ve been blessed four times in this department, and I thank God for each of them, and also pray that four is his limit in this gifting:) My children range from 2 to 9 years old, they definitely keep me busy. Parenthood is an incredible journey. I’ve always said that being a Mom is the most rewarding, wonderful, incredible, frustrating, challenging, joyful, stressful, and exhausting role I’ve ever had, and I wouldn’t change it for anything.

My children challenge me daily. These challenges can come in many forms, but tonight, my two oldest children challenged my thinking on what they are capable of doing for the Kingdom of God – even at the ages of 5-1/2 & 9 years old.
Tonight I spoke to my girls about a mission project the children will be taking part in, this coming Sunday during their ‘Power Sunday’ class. They are giving the children an opportunity to purchase a Bible ($2/each), that will then be placed in the hands of one of 220 children at the Cornwall Mountain School in Jamaica, during the Jamaica mission trip that GLCC is taking part in this year. Many times these opportunities come up and I think “I can do that” and hand my girls the money needed, in this case $2.00 each to go to church with and purchase a Bible. However, tonight I asked them to think about the money they have saved from their allowance, and decide if they would want to use some of their own money to purchase a Bible that could then be given to a child who has maybe never even seen a Bible before. Inside I thought it would be so wonderful to have them each walk in with their $2.00, that they earned themselves from various chores, and know that because of this donation a child will have the chance to read and learn about God.

They threw out numbers, talked back and forth about what they wanted to do… and this is where my girls blew me away, where God used their hearts to minister to mine and open my eyes more fully to how children can be used in a mighty way for the Kingdom of God. My girls opened their wallets, and because of God touching the hearts of my girls and my girls being faithful and obedient to Him, twenty-three children in Jamaica will own a Bible of their own! TWENTY-THREE! God is SO good!
I told my girls how incredibly proud of them I was, but more importantly how happy they made Jesus!

I am praying for the 23 sets of hands that will hold these Bibles, that their eyes would be opened to the amazing Father they have in Christ and that they would come to know Him as their Lord and Savior!
I want to thank you Lord, for blessing me with the gift of my children and allowing them to be a teacher to me tonight.

Jingle Mingle Follow-Up

TO THOSE WHO TOOK THE TIME,

The men and women in my unit cannot begin to thank you enough for the wonderful care packages that you sent. The time and effort it must have taken to organize, coordinate, distribute and pay for the packages must have been great. We really appreciate you thinking of us during the holiday season, when we are sure there was so much more to do in your own families to get ready.

Although we are separated from our families during this time of year, it is nice to get little reminders of things back home. I wish you could have seen the smiles on everyone's faces as box after box came in with what we call, "Licky's and Chewy's". People were digging through the boxes to find out if there was something that they just could not wait to have. No one walked away disappointed and everyone walked away with a better outlook if only for the few minutes when they were pounding their favorite treat.

Receiving boxes or letters always cheers people up. In this world of phone calls and emails, nothing compares to receiving something in the mail. Thank you again for your time and effort.

MAJ Joel Blaschke

What is the Meaning of Life?

Have you ever wondered what the meaning of life is? What comes to mind when you first hear the question? I have been pondering this question for a week now. I have three different answers, I mean what context are we talking about. I think of a newborn child as a precious life given from
God. I think of my earthly life as I have fun hanging out with my family and friends. Then there is my everlasting life with my father in heaven.

What has caused me to wonder about life is Mary. My niece isa caretaker for Mary who is 33. Mary was born with cerebral palsy and a cleft pallet. She is completely blind, with exception of seeing shadows. She is also completely deaf. She was not expected to live beyond 2 weeks. She is fed threw a tube for nourishment and also is fed soft food snacks. She sleeps on a bed that vibrates to the sound of music. She can hug you pull you close and also pushes you away. Her mother comes by daily to spend an hour with her - hugging her. Her father visits regularly - He talks to her and does both sides of the conversation. to some extent because she randomly laughs out loud and also cries. However she is unable to communicate her needs.

When I think about Mary and the meaning of life with respect to Mary and being a precious gift of life from God, I wonder if I would think so If I was her mother. I know many people have had children with Downs Syndrome or something else and have found them to be more precious gifts than those born completely healthy. I just wonder if I had a child who could not communicate with me, see the look of love in my eye, or hear me tell them I love them, if I had a child who was bed ridden for there entire life, would I see him/her as that precious gift of life

When I think about Mary with respect to our earthy life, I can honestly say, I would not want to live that way. I feel this way because I know a different life. I so much enjoy my time with family and friends. I can not imaging what life would be like if I could not go visit a friend, see a friend, speak to a friend. I know Mary knows no other life, so fortunately she does know what she is missing. I wonder if Mary is fulfilled in her life. I find it hard to imagine.

The bible teaches us that Life is the everlasting with God in heaven. Accepting Jesus Christ as our personal savior and having a personal relationship with Jesus Christ is what gives us everlasting life. I wonder does Mary know Jesus Christ? How do you tell Mary about Jesus? How can she accept him as her Lord and savior? I want to think that somehow some way Jesus has talked to her and when she laughs, she is laughing with Jesus and when she cries, she cries for him. Maybe she is the lucky one, maybe she has always been able to have a personal relationship with
Jesus Christ, maybe for Mary it comes easy because she does not have so many other distractions.

I don't know the answer. I just know Mary has brought a lot of questions.